IP Library Granted Patent US 12,462,011
Granted Patent B2
US 12,462,011 · App. 18/180,963 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Systems and methods for SPDM device and baseboard management controller (BMC) pairing

Inventors: A Anis Ahmed (Bangalore, IN); Mini Thottunkal Thankappan (Bangalore, IN); Vineeth Radhakrishnan (Palakkad, IN); Dharma Bhushan Ramaiah (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
G06F21/44
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,462,011
App. No.
18/180,963
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for SPDM device and BMC pairing are provided. According to one embodiment, an Information Handling System (IHS) includes a Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM)-enabled device conforming to a SPDM specification, and a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) configured with computer executable instructions to provision a SPDM identity certificate of the BMC in the SPDM-enabled device, verify that the BMC has been paired with the SPDM-enabled device using the SPDM identity certificate, and when the authentication of the SPDM-enabled device fails, inhibit operation of the SPDM-enabled device in the IHS.

Claims (46)

1 . An Information Handling System (IHS) comprising:

a Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM)-enabled device conforming to a SPDM specification; and

a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) comprising at least one memory coupled to at least one processor, the at least one memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the at least one processor, cause the BMC to:

provision a SPDM identity certificate of the BMC in the SPDM-enabled device;

authenticate the SPDM-enabled device, and verify that the BMC has been paired with the authenticated SPDM-enabled device, based at least in part on the SPDM identity certificate;

when the authentication of the SPDM-enabled device fails, inhibit operation of the SPDM-enabled device in the IHS; and

when the SPDM-enabled device is re-booted, provision the SPDM identity certificate, authenticate the SPDM-enabled device, and verify that the BMC has been paired with the authenticated SPDM-enabled device, based at least in part on the SPDM identity certificate.

2 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the BMC to:

mutually authenticate with an other BMC configured in another IHS;

obtain a second SPDM device identity certificate of the other BMC;

provision the second SPDM device identity certificate of the other BMC in the SPDM-enabled device;

when the SPDM-enabled device is moved to the other IHS, verify that the second SPDM device identity certificate provisioned in the SPDM-enabled device matches the SPDM device identity certificate of the other BMC; and

when the verification that the second SPDM device identity certificate matches fails, inhibit operation of the SPDM-enabled device in the other IHS.

3 . The IHS of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause BMC to, when the verification that the second SPDM device identity certificate matches succeeds, replace the SPDM device identity certificate with the second SPDM device identity certificate in a SPDM certificate structure in the SPDM-enabled device.

4 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the SPDM identity certificate is provisioned in the SPDM-enabled device during assembly of the IHS, and wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause authentication of the SPDM-enabled device when the IHS is booted, based at least in part on the SPDM identity certificate provisioned during IHS assembly.

5 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause BMC to provision the SPDM identity certificate in one of slots 1 - 7 in a SPDM certificate structure of the SPDM-enabled device.

6 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause BMC to, when the authentication of the SPDM-enabled device succeeds, allow operation of the SPDM-enabled device in the IHS.

7 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause BMC to inhibit operation of the SPDM-enabled device based at least in part on cause an in-band or out-of-band communication with the SPDM-enabled device to be disabled.

8 . A method comprising:

provisioning a Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM) identity certificate of a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) in a SPDM-enabled device conforming to a SPDM specification, during assembly of an Information Handling System (IHS) for configuration with the BMC;

authenticating the SPDM-enabled device, and verifying that the BMC has been paired with the authenticated SPDM-enabled device using the SPDM identity certificate; and

when the authentication of the SPDM-enabled device fails, inhibiting operation of the SPDM-enabled device in the IHS.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

mutually authenticating with an other BMC configured in another IHS;

obtaining a second SPDM device identity certificate of the other BMC;

provisioning the second SPDM device identity certificate of the other BMC in the SPDM-enabled device;

when the SPDM-enabled device is moved to the other IHS, verifying that the second SPDM device identity certificate provisioned in the SPDM-enabled device matches the SPDM device identity certificate of the other BMC; and

when the verification that the second SPDM device identity certificate matches fails, inhibiting operation of the SPDM-enabled device in the other IHS.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising, when the verification that the second SPDM device identity certificate matches succeeds, replacing the SPDM device identity certificate with the second SPDM device identity certificate in a SPDM certificate structure in the SPDM-enabled device.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising performing the acts of provisioning the SPDM identity certificate and verifying that the BMC has been paired each time the SPDM-enabled device is re-booted.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising provisioning the SPDM identity certificate in one of slots 1 - 7 in a SPDM certificate structure of the SPDM-enabled device.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising, when the authentication of the SPDM-enabled device succeeds, allowing operation of the SPDM-enabled device in the IHS.

14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising inhibiting operation of the SPDM-enabled device by disabling an in-band or out-of-band communication with the SPDM-enabled device.

15 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by an Information Handling System (IHS), cause the IHS to:

provision a Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM) identity certificate of a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) in a SPDM-enabled device conforming to a SPDM specification;

authenticate the SPDM-enabled device, and verify that the BMC has been paired with the authenticated SPDM-enabled device based at least in part on the SPDM identity certificate;

when the authentication of the SPDM-enabled device fails, inhibit operation of the SPDM-enabled device in the IHS; and

when the SPDM-enabled device is re-booted, provision the SPDM identity certificate, authenticate the SPDM-enabled device, and verify that the BMC has been paired with the authenticated SPDM-enabled device, based at least in part on the SPDM identity certificate.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the BMC to:

mutually authenticate with an other BMC configured in an other IHS;

obtain a second SPDM device identity certificate of the other BMC;

provision the second SPDM device identity certificate of the other BMC in the SPDM-enabled device;

when the SPDM-enabled device is moved to the other IHS, verify that the second SPDM device identity certificate provisioned in the SPDM-enabled device matches the SPDM device identity certificate of the other BMC;

when the verification that the second SPDM device identity certificate matches fails, inhibit operation of the SPDM-enabled device in the other IHS; and

when the verification succeeds, replace the SPDM device identity certificate with the second SPDM device identity certificate in a SPDM certificate structure in the SPDM-enabled device.

17 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the BMC to provision the SPDM identity certificate in one of slots 1 - 7 in a SPDM certificate structure of the SPDM-enabled device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2023
From: AHMED, A ANIS; THANKAPPAN, MINI THOTTUNKAL; RADHAKRISHNAN, VINEETH; RAMAIAH, DHARMA BHUSHAN
To: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.
Reel/Frame 062930/0472 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240303317A1 · Sep 12, 2024
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